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Old mirrors may harbor spirits, says John Zaffis

Mirrors have been associated with the paranormal for hundreds of years, prompting people to cover mirrors in the home when someone dies to prevent their spirit from being trapped in the mirror. Although it sounds like the workings of the superstitious, John Zaffis, lead paranormal investigator on “Haunted Collector” doesn’t think so. On the latest episode of Haunted Collector, which aired on April 24, Zaffis revealed his belief that spirits can become trapped in mirrors.

According to Zaffis, this is more common with old mirrors. Because the reflective layer of the mirror was painted on, there is a gap between the two layers. Spirits, he says, can get trapped between the two layers of the mirror and be unable to move on.

How or why the spirit enters the mirror in the first place was not addressed. According to folklore, when someone dies, their departing spirit may mistake a mirror for an entrance to the afterlife and go into the mirror in an attempt to cross over to the other side.

Other beliefs include that mirrors work as a portal between our world and the spirit realm, allowing them to enter our world at will.

Whether spirits really lurk in mirrors or use them as a passageway to the other side is unknown.